Band 7 Clinical Pharmacist – Assessment Unit

Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust; Harlow; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) is seeking a Band 8a Pharmacist to join the Assessment Unit. You will work within a multidisciplinary team to deliver a high quality clinical pharmacy service, ensuring medicines reconciliation, optimisation, and safe prescribing for patients moving between the Assessment Unit and other wards.

You will participate in education, training, and development of guidelines, contributing to governance and cost-effective medicine use.

Qualifications

• Registered pharmacist with GPhC and current registration.
• Experience in hospital pharmacy, especially Assessment Unit or similar.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• Experience with medicines reconciliation and cost-effective prescribing.

Responsibilities

• Provide 7-day pharmacy service on the Assessment Unit.
• Support Ambulatory Unit and Surgical Assessment areas.
• Assist with medicines reconciliation and optimisation on admission.
• Liaise with prescribers and healthcare teams to ensure safe prescribing.
• Contribute to guidelines, SOPs, audits and governance.
• Participate in education and training of staff and students.
• Support CD management and KPI reporting.

Skills

Team collaboration

Clinical pharmacy

Medicines reconciliation

Quality improvement

Audit

Patient communication

Teaching/training

Education

GPhC registered pharmacist

Job description

• Work as part of the multidisciplinary team and assist the senior pharmacists to deliver a high quality clinical pharmacy service to patients on the Assessment Unit in line with local and national objectives.
• Work as part of the Pharmacy team on the Assessment Unit to provide a 7 day pharmacy service as per agreed shift pattern
• Provide pharmacy support to the Ambulatory Unit and Surgical Assessment areas
• Support transition of care of patients from the Assessment Unit to other wards.
• To provide excellent patient care through direct patient facing activities.
• To support the senior pharmacists on the unit with developing relevant guidelines and undertaking audit work.
• Be responsible, on a day to day basis, for medicines reconciliation and medicines optimisation for patients on the Assessment unit who will be admitted onto a medical or surgical ward at PAH.

Job Overview

• Work as part of the multidisciplinary team and assist the senior pharmacists to deliver a high quality clinical pharmacy service to patients on the Assessment Unit in line with local and national objectives.
• Work as part of the Pharmacy team on the Assessment Unit to provide a 7 day pharmacy service as per agreed shift pattern
• Provide pharmacy support to the Ambulatory Unit and Surgical Assessment areas
• Support transition of care of patients from the Assessment Unit to other wards.
• To provide excellent patient care through direct patient facing activities.
• To support the senior pharmacists on the unit with developing relevant guidelines and undertaking audit work.
• Be responsible, on a day to day basis, for medicines reconciliation and medicines optimisation for patients on the Assessment unit who will be admitted onto a medical or surgical ward at PAH.

End date of fixed term 28/07/2027

Main duties of the job

• To be a key member of both the Pharmacy department and Assessment unit
• Provide pharmacy support to the Ambulatory Unit and Surgical Assessment areas
• Work as part of the multidisciplinary team to manage medicines related issues.
• To ensure that there is compliance with medicines legislation
• To minimise medication errors, missed/delayed doses and medication risks to the patient.
• Be professionally accountable
• Provide support to the Emergency Department (ED) and Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) where required

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) is proud to care for the communities of West Essex, delivering safe, compassionate, and high-quality services. We are part of the Neighbourhood Wavea national programme that’s changing how care is delivered by focusing on prevention, early support, and more joined-up services across health, social care, and the voluntary sector. This means we’re working more closely with local partners to bring care closer to home and support people to live healthier, more independent lives. We’re a supportive and inclusive organisation that values its people. We offer development opportunities, flexible working, and a strong focus on wellbeing. As a Disability Confident and equal opportunities employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences. Join us and help shape the future of care in West Essex.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Clinical Services

• Liaise with prescribers, nurses and other health care professionals to ensure and efficient and high quality pharmacy service is provided to patients
• Undertake drug histories and medicines reconciliation processes of patients admitted onto the assessment unit
• Monitor prescriptions for clinical safety, accuracy and cost effective prescribing
• Advise on therapeutic monitoring as appropriate
• Ensure appropriate prescribing as per Trust Guidelines
• Ensure prescribing as per Trust formulary
• Counsel patients and carers about their medicines and treatments.
• Communicate general medicines related information and advice to patients and carers, consultants and their medical teams, and other healthcare professionals
• Assist ward staff with regard to provision of medicine supply
• Use interpersonal skills to develop and maintain relationships with patients and colleagues
• Provide advice on all aspects of pharmaceutical products as requested

Medicines Management & Service Development

• Assist the Band 8a Assessment Unit Pharmacists with initiatives to address identified prescribing issues and promote cost effective prescribing and drug expenditure control
• Assist the senior pharmacist(s) in investigating issues arising from medication incidents
• Support the development, implementation and monitoring of guidelines, protocols and standards to ensure safe and cost-effective use of medicines
• Contribute to continuous quality improvement processes within the Assessment Unit and in the Trust through clinical governance and risk management issues.
• Contribute to any audits applicable to the Assessment Unit
• Provide information and data for Pharmacy department key performance indicators (KPIs) to demonstrate activity and quality.
• Assist with Controlled Drugs management on the Assessment unit, including regular CD stock checks as per Trust policy, return of expired and unused patients own controlled drugs and appropriate stock levels.
• Write and/or review relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as requested by the Lead Pharmacist Education and Training/Deputy Chief Pharmacist.

Personal Development

• Assist and support the senior pharmacist on the Assessment Unit
• Manage own workload and contribute to the planning of pharmacy services to the Assessment Unit.

Education and Training

• Participate in in-service training and continuing education programmes within the Pharmacy and Assessment Unit.
• Assist with the training of pharmacists, pre-registration pharmacy students, student pharmacy technicians and any other healthcare professionals.
• Assist in delivery of any formal teaching sessions.
• Maintain own professional registration including CPD as part of the requirements for pharmacist revalidation as set out by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Act in accordance with the code of ethics and standards as set out by the GPhC for registered pharmacists

General Duties

• Participate in the Assessment Unit 7 day working rota, including varying shift length (e.g. 8 or 12hrs shifts)
• Assist in the delivery of other Pharmacy department services as required to meet the needs of the service on an adhoc basis.
• Liaise with the dispensary team, other clinical pharmacists and on call teams as needed

Physical Effort

• Prolonged sitting and use of VDU will be required.
• Shifts last up to 12hours

Mental Effort

• The post holder will be required to concentrate for prolonged periods frequently.
• There will be frequent interruptions to answer calls etc.

Emotional Effort

• Communicates highly complex drug or medicine related information to prescribers, clinicians, patients, relatives: patients may have language difficulties, physical or mental disabilities and other professionals may challenge the advice.
• Communicating with people with strong opposing views and requirements to reach a common theme and understanding; often in relation to service delivery or policy changes.
• Providing specialist advice to organisations on the delivery of change management programmes.
• Confident in presenting contentious information to large groups of people.
• Frequent exposure to distressed staff, patients and carers through the complexity of the role.